Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Terrifying Experience for Those with Misophonia.
One young woman anticipates seeing her relatives over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll endure is by wearing her hearing protection - notably for Christmas dinner.
For her, this time of year can be a notably tough season as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling cause her intense distress.
"There's this wave of instant dread, my whole body will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to stop these noises."
The individual has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that causes the holiday period "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by individuals.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers reported almost one in five people suffer from it.
Often it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, as well as things like chewing, breathing, and pen clicking.
'Anxiety Inducing'
The sufferer notes: "I face so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be stressful and make you want to avoid it.
"My family are aware, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a internal conflict of sacrificing my own sanity to make sure everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy time of the year can transform into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Triggers that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can cause a powerful reaction that can even result in them withdrawing from gatherings.
The student, a university student, who has experienced sound sensitivity for over a decade, states the approach she intends to use is to listen to music to manage the meal. Usually, she would often retreat in a quiet area to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her misophonia is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "hard".
"There is pressure to spend time with loved ones, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then panic will activate.
"It may seem as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
A Few Techniques to Manage
If it's an issue then there are a few methods you can try to cope the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Imagine an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. For instance, try to imagine someone's noisy drinking is just a sink draining water. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound affecting you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a game with the person. For instance, if someone is eating noisily attempt copying the noise. By joining in, instead of feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is having to make that sound. Imagine if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or are troubled. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it shifts from being annoying, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
